SIR: I take leave to present
herewith a sketch of the field of action of the 30th of August, as it appeared to me, with
an account of what I witnessed and the part sustained by my brigade, consisting of the
Fifth New York Volunteers, about 490 strong, and the Tenth New York Volunteers about 510
strong. Different parts of the sketch are referred to by means of the letters of the
alphabet. It must be kept in mind that I make this sketch from my own points of view. The
distance between the ruled lines represents 100 yards.
As a starting point I will state the position
of affairs just before the attack was made in front by General Butterfield. His
skirmishers had driven the enemy out of the woods at A, and he occupied the vicinity with
his whole force. The First and Second Brigades of Sykes' division were between him and O.
My brigade was at M, and Smead's and Randol's batteries in the road near me. General
Reynolds' division held the woods, G, with a rifled-gun battery at G. All our other forces
in sight were to the right and rear of these. I knew the enemy was in the woods and on the
high ridge from the point F all around toward our right as far as C C, but high authority
reported him retreating, and that this was only his rear guard. While General Butterfield
was making his disposition to assault the enemy at C, General Reynolds' troops and rifled
battery were all withdrawn from G and sent farther to our left at some point, as I, the
enemy's rifled battery at C firing at the last of his troops making this movement.
Hazlett's rifled battery was at the same time executing an order from General Porter to
take up a position at G with the other and open on the enemy at C, so as to assist
Butterfield's contemplated assault. This battery was then without support and our whole
left flank was uncovered. I immediately assumed the responsibility of occupying the place
Reynolds' division had vacated, and made all the show of force I could. For this purpose I
deployed three-fifths of the Tenth New York Volunteers to hold the edge of the woods
toward the enemy on our left, and keeping the Fifth New York Volunteers in reserve near H,
out of view of the enemy's battery at C. Notice of this movement of mine I immediately
sent by an officer to General Sykes or General Porter. He found the latter, who directed
me to hold on, and sent me mounted orderlies to keep him informed. He was, I believe, near
the point N, where Weed's battery was placed. From the point G I probably had the best
view of what followed that the battle-field presented.
As soon as General Butterfield's brigade
advanced up the hill there was great commotion among the rebel forces, and the whole side
of the hill and edges of the woods swarmed with men before unseen. The effect was not
unlike flushing a covey of quails. The enemy fell back to the line of the railroad, and
took shelter on the railroad cut and behind the embankment and lined the edges of the
woods beyond. Butterfield's advance beyond the brow of the hill B was impossible, and
taking his position his troops opened fire on the enemy in front, who from his sheltered
position returned it vigorously, while at the same time a battery, somewhere in the
prolongation of the line E B, opened a most destructive enfilading fire with spherical
case-shot.
It became evident to me that without heavy
re-enforcements General Butterfield's troops must fall back or be slaughtered, the only
assistance he received being from Hazlett's battery, which I was supporting, and Weed's,
near N. After making a most desperate and hopeless fight General Butterfield's troops fell
back, and the enemy immediately formed and advanced. Hazlett's battery now did good
execution on them, and forced one column, that advanced beyond the point of the wood at A,
to fall back into it. Unwilling to retire from the position I held, which involved the
withdrawal of this efficient battery and the exposure of the flanks of our retreating
forces, I held on, hoping that fresh troops would be thrown forward to meet the enemy, now
advancing in the open fields well knowing, however, that my position was one from which I
could not retreat in the face of a superior force.
Reynolds' division on my left, probably aware
of the superior force of the enemy gathering in his front, fell back from I toward P. The
enemy advanced with rapidity upon my position, with the evident intention of capt
Hazlett's battery. The Tenth New York was compelled to fall back, scarcely arriving at the
position held by the Fifth New York before the enemy, and in such a manner as to almost
completely prevent the Fifth from firing upon them. While I was endeavoring to clear them
from the front the enemy in force opened fire from the woods on the rear and left flank of
the Fifth with most fearful effect. I then gave the order to face about and march down the
hill, so as to bring the enemy all on our front, but in the roar of musketry I could only
be heard a short distance. Captain Boyd, near me, repeated the command but his men only
partially obeyed it. They were unwilling to make a backward movement. He was wounded while
trying to execute it. Adjutant Sovereign carried the order along the line to Captain
Winslow, commanding the regiment, and to the other captains, but was killed in the act.
Captain Winslow's horse was shot. Captain Lewis, acting field officer, was killed. Captain
Hager was killed. Captains McConnell and Montgomery were down with wounds, and Lieutenants
Raymond, Hoffman, Keyser, and Wright were wounded. Both color-bearers were shot down, and
all but four of the sergeants were killed or wounded.
Before the colors and the remnant of the
regiment could be extricated 298 men of the Fifth and 133 of the Tenth New York were
killed or wounded.
In the Tenth New York Lieutenant Hedden was
killed, and Captain Dimmick. Lieutenant Dewey? Lieutenant Mosscrop, and Lieutenant
Cuilhane wounded. The colors of both regiments were brought off, and the batteries we were
protecting were withdrawn.
We assisted from the field 77 wounded of the
Fifth and 8 of the Tenth. The remainder fell into the hands of the enemy. Among these were
Captains Boyd, McConnell, and Montgomery, and Lieutenants Wright and Raymond, of the
Fifth, and Captain Dimmick, Lieutenants Moss-crop and Dewey, of the Tenth. Braver men than
those who fought and fell that day could not be found. It was impossible for us to do
more, and, as is well known, all the efforts of our army barely checked his advance.